Specimen Activities with Answers
Std-12 / Sub-English
(Maharashtra State Board)
Section-ll Poetry - 8 Marks
2.1 I Ran Into A Stranger
Introduction:
Love and forgiveness are the core values for family members to remain attached to each other. Love and forgiveness must be reciprocal. Many times parents give harsh treatment for faults of their children but sometimes they are harsh for no faults. At such moment children feel very sad, depressed, nervous and tense. But after reflecting over it get relaxed as they are well wishers and caretakers also. Parents are expected to behave polietely with heir children as they behave with strangers.
Here is a mother in the poem who felt guilty of her insensitive behaviour with her daughter. So she went to her daughter's room, softly woke her up and said sorry to her for yelling at her. She appreciated her daughter's gift of flowers and showed her love for her. Her daughter also comfoted her by saying she loved her. In the end , the bonding between the mother and daughter got strengthened.
This is a narrative poem. The character- istics of narrative poem are: sequence of events, characters, dialogues, dramatic element, descriptions, purposeful narration etc. are found in this poem. The narration is continued by the characters I (the poet), her daughter, stranger and God in the form of dialogue.
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Q4. Read the extract and do the activities that follows:[ lines 1 to 17)
(See Coursebook)
Extract- (I an into a stranger........you seems to be abuse)
A1: Describe
Descrnbe with evidence from the poem how we treat strangers and our loved one differently.
A2: Poetie Device: Figure of Speech
Find out an example of the figure of speech 'Antithesis' from the extract and explain it.
A3: Personal Response
Write down two instances at which your mother treated you harshly and state what her intention was behind it.
A4: Creativity
Frame four poetic lines on the following situation using a rhyming patterm:
"While introducing great personalities, we praise them very highly and talk about their qualities, but while speaking about our friends we may not follow the same trends"
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Model Answers
Al: Describe
When we run into a stranger, we immediately say sorry as the mother and the stranger did in the poem.
Oh, excuse me please, mother's reply.
He said "Please excuse me too, wasn't even watching for you."
But at home we are very casual and treat our family members roughly.
The mother, in the poem, after accidentally knocking her little child, shouts at her, saying.
"Move out of the way."
A2: Poetic Device: Figure of Speech
"How we treat our loved ones young and old".
Two contradictory words, 'young' and 'old' are brought together for the poetic effect.
It is called Antithesis.
A3: Personal Response
Probable reasons for mother treating her child roughly may be :
The mother may be very busy in her daily chores. The mother may be lost in her thoughts. The mother may be unaware of her child standing behind her.
The mother may be in a great hurry.
(Accept any two responses or even other than the above-mentioned responses if
they are reasonably relevant.)
A4: Creativity
While introducing great personalities, a
We flatter and praise their qualities. b
But while speaking about our friends. a
Do we really follow the same trends? b
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Poetic Devices Questions from poem for additional practice
1)Pick up the rhyming pairs of words from the extract.
Ans. Rhyming pairs of words are:
Stanza 1: by-reply I-bye
Stanza 2: told-old, down-frown, broken-spoken
Stanza 3: bed-said, use-abuse.
Stanza 4 floor-door, you-blue, surprise-eyes
(2) Note the rhyme scheme of the third stanza
Ans. The rhyme scheme of the third stanza is aabb
(3) Name the figure of speech in the following expression:
"young and old',
Ans. Antithesis: Opposite ideas are expressed in the same line.
(4) Pick out the figures of speech 'Alliteration'
(i) We went on our way and we said goodbye'.
Repetition of the sound of 'w'.
(ii) God's still small voice came to me and said'.
Repetition of the sound of 's'.
it) She stood quietly not to spoil the surprise'.
Repetition of the sound of 's
5) Inversion:
While dealing with courtesy you use,
But the children you love, you seem to abuse.
The correct prose order of words should be:
You use common courtesy while dealing witha stranger, but you seem to abuse the children you love.
6) Pick up the rhyming pairs of words from the extract.
Ans. The rhyming pairs of words are:
Stanza 5: small-fall, bed-said
Stanza 6 : you-biue, today way-way, too to -blue
7) Name and explain the figur of speech in the following line:
I picked 'em because they, are pretty like you.
Ans : Simile: There is a direct comparison between
the flowers and the mother, with the use of the word like'.
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Q. Rearrange the jumbled sentences in the proper order,
(The answer is given directly.)
(sequence of happening in the poem)
Ans:
(1) The poet ran into a stranger on the road.
(2)Seeking excuse politely from the stranger she went her way.
(3) Late that night her conscience made her feel guilty of her insensitive behaviour.
(4) The mother went to her daughter's room.
(5) She softly woke her daughter up.
(6) She said sorry to her daughter for yelling at her.
(7) She appreciated her daughter's gift of flowers,
(8) Her daughter comforted her by saying that she loved her.
(9) In the end, the bonding between the mother and daughter got strengthened.
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Compiled by- Prof. D.S. Rathod (Mod)
